


The First Night (Of The Rest Of Our Lives)

by Firalla11



Series: Dreamwidth Transfers [8]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Columbus Blue Jackets, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Everyone Thinks They're Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2019-10-08 11:56:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17386037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firalla11/pseuds/Firalla11
Summary: “Dinner’s at five,” Matty replies, more out of habit than any real need to tell Cam. Cam knows. Dinner’s always at five.





	The First Night (Of The Rest Of Our Lives)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Chad Brownlee's "[Forever's Gotta Start Somewhere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhjuZQzqKNM)"

“Hey, you’re bringing Cam with you tonight, right?”

“Sure?” Matty says, attempting to button his shirt and eye Joey at the same time. He doesn’t even know where he’s supposed to be bringing Cam, but he can talk to Cam about going if Joey needs him to, he guesses. Even if it would be a lot easier for Joey to talk to Cam himself.

“Awesome, see you later.”

Joey claps him on the shoulder and moves on to talk to Jenns and Murrs before Matty can think to stop him.

He shakes his head and finishes buttoning his shirt. He’ll figure it out. If he’s lucky Cam already knows where they’re supposed to be going.

He usually does.

*****

A couple weeks later Matty’s weaving his way through a crowded bar, looking for the rest of the guys. They’re in the back corner when he finally spots them, of course.

He makes his way over and slides onto one of the empty seats. Boller eyes him from across the table. “Where’s your other half, huh?”

“Is that a short joke?” Matty asks, dry. If Cam’s not around he gets the brunt of them. He’s more than used to it, used to rolling with them – they don’t really phase him anymore – and he knows the guys’ll move on faster if they get them out of the way.

“Well it’s not a long one.”

Boller’s smirking. Matty groans, even as the rest of the guys laugh. Hopefully the _truly awful_ jokes will run out soon, too.

“Where’s Biebs?” Fliggs asks, nudging him.

“I don’t know,” Matty says. He messaged Cam earlier to ask when Cam was leaving when he was on his way out the door. Judging by how far away Cam lives, though, “He’ll probably be here soon.”

He is. Matty spots him through the crowd as he’s looking around, contemplating going to grab a drink.

He pats the empty seat to his left as Cam gets close. “Saved you a seat,” he says, grinning, as if anyone had tried to take it.

Cam sits, smiling back. “Thanks.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Boller says. “You’re last here.”

And they all know what that means: Cam has to get the next round. Cam heaves a sigh, but he stands right back up. “Yeah, yeah. What are we drinking?”

There’s a round of laughter and chirping as Cam gets out his phone to make a note, but eventually he gets everything down and heads for the bar.

Matty watches him go, just for a moment, and blinks as he turns back around and sees Boller eyeing him. Matty arches an eyebrow, curious.

Boller nods across the room. “Don’t you think you should go with him?”

“Pretty sure he can handle a tray by himself,” Matty says, dry. Cam’s short, not helpless. The guys should know that by now.

“Yeah, but…” Boller trails off. He just shrugs when Matty’s other eyebrow joins the first.

Weird.

Fliggs nudges him then, before Matty can press Boller, question him on what he’s not saying. He gives Matty a pointed look when Matty turns to him. “Your boy looks like he needs a rescue,” he says.

Matty bites back a sigh – Fliggs too, really? – but he obligingly looks over, looks for Cam’s familiar curls, even though they should be lost in the crowd.

He spots Cam though, surprising himself, talking with some guy as he leans against the bar. The smile on his face looks friendly enough from this distance, Matty thinks. He hardly looks like he’s in need of a rescue, but Matty can see he also has two trays of drinks, and how is he supposed to handle that on his own? Considering how many people he was buying for, that’s something one of them should have realized before he left.

Matty sighs, gets to his feet without another word. He makes his way over to the bar, weaving through bodies and tables and bar stools until he can stop close to Cam. “Hey,” he says. “Need some help?”

Cam smiles up at him, eyes shining in the dimmed light. “Sure, thanks.”

The guy Cam was talking to is gone when Matty looks up again.

Huh.

They make their way through the crowd, back over to the table, Matty trailing after Cam.

*****

Matty reaches for the remote as the movie ends, as conversation fills the room again now that no one’s going to have a pillow thrown at them for talking over the TV. He adjusts the volume and glances down at Cam, asleep against his shoulder as the rest of the guys start to talk about heading out.

“You’re not going to wake him up, are you?” Joey asks, peering around Cam to talk to Matty. “He looks comfortable.”

Matty shrugs, one-shouldered, careful not to jostle Cam. He probably should or Cam’s not going to sleep tonight, and he doesn’t want to mess with Cam’s routine.

Then again, if he’s tired enough to have fallen asleep in the middle of a movie riddled with explosions, maybe he needs the extra rest.

He’ll leave him for a little longer, Matty thinks. Compromise it.

Cam will probably wake up on his own before too long anyway. He can just put something else on until then.

He waves a hand as the guys head out, one by one, until it’s only him and Cam left in his living room. It’s oddly still, oddly quiet absent the noise and the energy the guys always bring. Cam’s soft breathing and the sound of the TV, low in the background now, are the only things breaking the silence.

Matty picks up the remote again, changes the channel, and resettles against the back of the couch.

He’ll give Cam another hour. For now, he doesn’t mind letting him sleep.

*****

“What’ve you got planned for our first night off in forever?”

Matty turns, buttoning his shirt as he turns to Fliggs. “Me and Cam are having dinner tonight. My place at five, if you want to come.”

“Nah,” Fliggs says, easy. “I’m having dinner with Janelle. And you two should have a night alone for once, hm?”

“I guess?” Matty says, slow, eyeing Fliggs. “Have a good night.” He just manages not to let his confusion make that a question too.

“You too,” Fliggs says. He claps Matty on the shoulder, then he leaves. Leaves Matty frowning to himself as he reaches for his jacket. He tugs it on as he heads for the door himself.

Fliggs’ is just another in a long line of odd comments about him and Cam. Odd comments and odd assumptions and pointed looks–

About _him and Cam._

It’s _always_ about him and Cam.

He’s not sure why, after all this time, this is when it clicks, why this comment, this moment, this thought that leaves him reeling as he realizes just what Fliggs _means._

Fliggs thinks he and Cam are together. And he’s not the only one. Joey’s made an odd comment here and there, and Boller’s always teasing them, always saying something, and they’re not the only ones who’ve shot him a knowing look or two, now that he’s thinking about it, but– that– it would be silly, right?

It’s _Cam._

They came up from the A together, have been on the Jackets together for a couple of years now. It’s always been natural to lean on Cam, to joke with him, sure – Cam’s always been there, at his side, watching his back; it’s just how they _are_ – but that doesn’t mean– they’re not–

Are they?

Matty blinks as someone nudges him. He’s not at all surprised to look over and see Cam. “What?” he says. “Were you going to leave without me?”

Matty shakes his head, trying to blink his thoughts away. “No, what? Would I do that?”

He holds up a hand, stopping Cam before Cam can remind him that he has, in fact, done that. It only happened once, back when they were in the A and running on not nearly enough sleep, but. He’s never going to live it down.

Especially today, when his thoughts were whirling too much to remember that he’s Cam’s ride home.

He claps Cam on the shoulder, like he’s done so many times before.

This time it’s almost too hard to lift his hand away again.

Almost.

“Just let it go, Cameron,” Matty says. He shoves his hand in his pocket, under the pretense of searching for his keys.

Cam grins. “Not a chance.”

Matty shakes his head, grateful to see they’ve made it to his car, grateful he doesn’t have to try to come up with a response in the face of Cam’s bright, happy smile.

The drive back to Cam’s is easier, backgrounded by the radio when conversation lapses. Matty does his best to keep up his end, but it’s hard. His thoughts are still scattered, even as he pulls up to the curb to drop Cam off.

“Thanks for the ride,” Cam says.

Matty looks over then, finally, and does his best to return Cam’s smile. He manages, he thinks, though his cheeks feel suspiciously warm. “Anytime, man.”

Cam laughs. “Careful,” he says. “Or you might end up driving me everywhere.” He reaches for the door handle. “I’ll see you later.”

“Dinner’s at five,” Matty replies, more out of habit than any real need to tell Cam. Cam knows that. Dinner’s always at five.

Always.

How is he just realizing now that they have a set schedule for this? For a _date night,_ even if they’ve never called it that. Even if he’s not sure Cam _wants_ to call it that.

“I know,” Cam says. “Later, man.”

Cam gets out of the car and goes up to the front door of the building. He gives a little wave, then he heads inside.

Matty watches until the door closes behind him, then he shakes his head and starts the car. He needs to head home. He has a dinner to plan.

*****

Matty checks the time as he finishes plating, nods to himself as he sees it’s a few minutes before five. Good. That gives him just enough time take dinner out to the living room so they can put on a movie or some show while they eat.

He pauses, briefly, once he has everything laid out, at the sound of keys in the front door.

He swallows as he sits. He and Cam have had keys to each other’s places since they’ve each _had_ places. It’s never struck him as a big deal.

Not until now.

Matty looks over as Cam comes in. He’s dressed in jeans and an old hoodie, his socked feet muffling his footsteps against the carpet. He’s smiling at he looks around, then meets Matty’s gaze. “Just us tonight?” he asks, joining Matty on the couch.

Matty nods. It isn’t always, but he didn’t even think to ask anyone else after talking to Fliggs. It was all he could do to get himself and Cam home, thinking all the while about Fliggs’ assumptions.

“Fliggs said he thought we should have a night alone,” Matty blurts. Cam blinks at him. Matty takes an unsteady breath. That isn’t– he meant to at least let them eat dinner first, but now that he’s started, now that Cam’s here, he doesn’t know what else to do except to lay his thoughts bare. Cam’s been the person he’s turned to, the person he’s talked his problems out with for years. Not that this is a problem – he _hopes_ it’s not going to be a problem – but he can’t imagine having this conversation with anyone else.

That– probably means more than he’s quite ready to admit.

“You know,” Matty continues. “I think, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think the guys think we’re together. Weird, right?”

He runs his hand through his hair, laughing a little, trying to ease the tension that's been twisting in his gut, but the sound hits a strange note in the otherwise ringing silence and falls completely flat.

Cam’s staring now, wide-eyed. He bites his lip as Matty watches, a nervous gesture that has Matty thinking things about Cam that he never has–

Cam’s eyes are still on his when he drags his gaze back up.

“Maybe not so weird,” Cam says, soft.

Matty swallows. “Maybe not.”

There’s a pause, a drawn out moment where all Matty can hear is the sound of his heartbeat in his ears, then Cam’s leaning forward, slowly, so slowly, and suddenly there’s no air in the room. Matty can’t breathe through the tightness in his chest, can’t see anything except for Cam leaning closer, and maybe- maybe he’s leaning forward too–

His eyes flutter shut as he feels Cam’s lips against his, kissing him, slightly fumbling, new to each other, but good, _so_ good.

Matty gasps as the kiss breaks, takes a second then blinks his eyes open again.

Cam’s watching him still, close, so close now. Matty licks his lips. There’s a warmth in his chest, on his cheeks, and that’s not– that’s not embarrassment. That’s–

“Oh.”

He’s close enough to see the crinkles at the corners of Cam’s eyes when he smiles.

“Oh,” Cam parrots.

They’re quiet for another moment, holding each other’s gazes, then they’re laughing, pulling each other in. Matty’s hand is on the back of Cam’s head, tucked in against the side of his neck. Cam’s arms are around him, holding him close as they shake with laughter, and not a small bit of relief.

This– it’s new, so new, but it’s _them._ It’s _right._

Part of him can’t believe Cam wants it too. Mostly, though? Mostly he’s not surprised. It’s them. They’re together in this, as they are in most things. The things the matter. It just took them a little time to get there.


End file.
